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that they may be unsafe or ineffective, since the Inspector General had discovered that many of
the drugs were stored improperly, raising questions about their continued potency. 631 The
Inspector General also questioned the usability of $5 million in medical countermeasure drugs
that CBP was managing due to uncertainty about storage conditions. 632 The OIG determined
that TSA has a stock of 200,000 respirators, which have exceeded the manufacturer’s 5-year
usability guarantee. 633
The Department recognized the importance of addressing problems in its pandemic
preparedness work, and has agreed to take steps to address the problems identified by the
Inspector General’s audit. 634 The apparent lack of planning, and mismanagement of past
resources to address or mitigate potential health risks, raises serious questions about whether
DHS is ready to execute its responsibilities, including protecting its workers, in the event of a
serious threat to the nation’s health security.
During the recent scare related to the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, and arrival of the
disease in the United States, minority staff spoke with representatives of several unions that
represent frontline workers. The representatives for the U.S. Border Patrol’s union 635 and U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Service employees 636 reported that their members had not received
training or adequate personal protective equipment to ensure that they could take appropriate
precautions to protect themselves in the event of a severe Ebola outbreak in the United States.
Fortunately, Customs and Border Protection officers at ports of entry, who are likely at the
greatest risk of exposure to a potential health risk traveling into the country, had received
training and protective measures, according to their union representative. 637
Given the serious consequences associated with a pandemic, as well as other health
security risks, DHS’s Office of Health Affairs should be a focus of oversight and attention both
for the Department and the Congress moving forward. As discussed in an earlier section, the
631 Ibid.
632 Ibid.
633 Ibid.
634 DHS agreed with and plans to implement all of the Inspector General’s recommendations for improving
pandemic preparedness planning and resource management. DHS Office of Inspector General, “DHS Has Not
Effectively Managed Pandemic Personal Protective Equipment and Antiviral Medical Countermeasures,” OIG-14-
129, August 2014.
635 Email from the representative of the Border Patrol Agent Union to minority committee staff, October 15, 2014.
636 Email from the representative of the National Citizenship and Immigration Services Council to minority
committee staff, October 14, 2014.
637 Email from representative of the National Treasury Employees Union (which represents CBO officers) to
minority committee staff, October 15, 2014.
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